Total births
4,971
Boys' name · since 1914
Gil
4,971 babies named Gil in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 1957. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3998
- among boys today
- 4,971
- born since 1914
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other boys
Gil currently ranks #3998 among boys' names in America, with 4,971 babies recorded since 1914.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gil has been recorded 4,971 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #3998 nationally and more common than 72% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #3998 among boys today
- 4,971 born since 1914
- 1950s peak decade
- 72% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Gil is currently the #3998 boys' name in America, more common than 72% of boys - 4,971 born since 1914, peaking in the 1950s.
- #3998
- among boys today
- 4,971
- born since 1914
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other boys
Gil vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3998
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 72% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Gil was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
124 babies were named Gil in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Gil compares
4,971 Top 12% higher than 88% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gil's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gil | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,971 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 124 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gil's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gil splits its recorded history at 1971: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1917 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 124 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gil at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#3,998
Active since
1914
Gil popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 124
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Gil by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gil's strongest decade.
915 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Gil births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 39
1910s
39 births
- 1920s 114
1920s
114 births
- 1930s 160
1930s
160 births
- 1940s
1940s
381 births
- 1950s
1950s
915 births
- 1960s
1960s
900 births
- 1970s
1970s
516 births
- 1980s
1980s
508 births
- 1990s
1990s
508 births
- 2000s
2000s
469 births
- 2010s 320
2010s
320 births
- 2020s 141
2020s
141 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 915 births (18% of all-time use).
How Gil compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gil's total volume
Gil vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gil by state
Where Gil concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 985 | 19.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 621 | 12.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 516 | 10.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 91 | 1.8% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 52 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 37 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Florida | | 27 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 22 | 0.4% |
California share of Gil's total US births 19.8%
Even split
985 of 4,971 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Gil appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gil? ▼
Gil has been given to 4,971 babies in the U.S. since 1914, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #3998 as of the latest data. 124 babies were born in 1957, its single highest year.
When was Gil most popular? ▼
Gil was most popular in the 1950s decade with 915 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Gil most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gil are California (985 births), New York (621 births), Texas (516 births).
How long has the name Gil been used? ▼
Records for Gil go back to 1914, giving 112 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gil? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gilbert, Gilberto, Giles, Gilford, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gil's data
- Gil's decade-level peak was the 1950s (915 total births); usage has since declined to 141 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Gils (985 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gil
Nearby Names Like Gil
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gil
Gilbert Boy
#1387 130,148 births
Gilberto Boy
#1433 28,642 births
Giles Boy
#5069 4,732 births
Gilford Boy
1,225 births
Gill Boy
1,218 births
Compare Gil side by side: Gil vs Gilbert Gil vs Gilberto Gil vs Giles
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gil
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gil: #3998 Boys' Name - 4,971 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gil. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gil draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.